Kawai K1m(ore)

Finally getting some time to play about with the Kawai K1m again, amazing synth, really enjoy using it. It’s a very different vibe to using the Volca Sample for example, and has more in keeping with the Dr T’s KCS or the Alesis MMT-8, which I think would partner it well.

This upload is a 101 providing the 808-esque kick, and the 606 is provided support on the bd and toms…the rest is Kawai K1.

Kawai K1m(inimal)

Many years ago I was lucky enough to be given a Kawai K1 as a gift from my brother. It was an amazing synth, and despite having to give it back a week later, I always remembering that machine having a certain quality to the sound that I loved, and only more recently realised a connection with certain music I also love.

It turns out that albums Frequencies by LFO, one of my all time favourites, and the Electro Soma by B12, another favourite, are both heavily using the Kawai K1. I would even go so far to say that that classic bass sound on LFO, is almost certainly coming from the Kawai K1.

Yesterday brought me and the K1 back together and boy does this thing sound incredible.

Lots of digital fuzz from the low bit rate. Very useable and simple editing. Small enough for the desktop, as I got the keyboardless K1m. And yet again I have something that looks like a fax machine to make music on.

Needless to say, a massively underated synth and if you can find one I recommend taking the plunge.

Projection Volca Sample

Today’s upload is experimenting some more with the Volca Sample and a little bit of software outboard, software that is holding place for its better hardware equivalent.

One great thing I have been reminded with the Volca Sample, much like any hardware sample sequencer, is being able to load up a track and hit play. Unlike some hardware sequencers which store tempo and all other settings, the Volca Sample has a little more freedom in that often a saved song although sounding familiar, yields all new textures and directions… all form simply hitting play.

A second Volca Sample is looking quite likely later this year, my only worry is everything else wont get used? Nah!

Loop Finding Volca Sample

More experimenting in the Korg Volca Sample Sequencer. I am using the 101 to control the speed of the Volca Sample, so the tempo can be much much lower, allowing more cycles of the perceived loop in one sequence, save me using extra sequences for variation. Seems to work ok-ish.

Very Jan Jelinek this upload, which the Korg Volca Sample seems to ooze…very difficult not to do that actually, which is a good thing in my book.